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ProjectsThrough its more than 30 years of technical advisory, management consulting, and training services to our clients, CORE International, Inc. has had the opportunity to work in more than 100 countries. We have provided training to more than 4,000 persons, improved regulations, increased private sector participation in traditionally public marketplaces, and assisted in improving many countries' infrastructure and the quality of life of many persons.
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Development through international partnerships |
CORE International's byline is "Development Through International Partnerships". We've had the opportunity to partner with many international companies, local service providers, and independent consultants, without whom our work would not have been so successful.
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Project results and success stories |
SELECTED PROJECTS OF CORE INTERNATIONAL, INC.
REGIONAL AFRICA: Private Sector Participation in Energy Development, Management and Operation in Africa, Central Europe, and Asia – a $2.5 million, 3-year project. Considerable work was done under this project in Zambia, Lesotho, Namibia, SAPP Coordination Center, regional training and workshop on power markets, power trading, tariff development, rural electrification, energy sector governance and regulatory reform. ALBANIA: Power Sector Reform and Regulatory Capacity Building in Albania – a $1 million capacity building project focused on regulatory strengthening of ERA, the regulator, development of an IPP Model for small-scale power generators, and tariff reform. BRAZIL: Moving Markets for Energy Efficiency (MMEE) in Brazil, a USAID Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy Development, and Pollution Prevention Project. As a key member of the Moving Markets for Energy Efficiency Project, CORE International, Inc. served as the lead in developing a comprehensive plan for jump-starting a private sector-led energy efficiency market in Brazil. CORE developed an overall country strategy and plan for energy efficiency consistent with Brazil’s national energy policies. CORE worked closely with 16 electric utilities; over 20 small, medium, and large local financial institutions; private sector companies and business associations; consumer groups; and other stakeholders to develop a framework and action plan for increasing energy efficiency programs and developing an ESCO industry within the country. CORE developed a structure and designed a financing facility for major end-use demonstration projects. As a direct result of CORE’s work, many projects are operational under this financing scheme and ESCOs are functioning and succeeding in this new market. GEORGIA: Advisory Assistance to the Ministry of Energy and GNERC (the Regulator) in Georgia – a $4.8 million USAID project in the Republic of Georgia focused on a wide variety of energy sector issues – energy markets, privatization of distribution, IPP Project Models, regulatory governance, and policy formulation. WORLDWIDE: Energy Sector Governance Technical Assistance and Capacity Building Worldwide in USAID countries – a $7.5 million 5-year project with multiple activities. The first four activities have included: (i) Southern African Power Pool Document Review and recommendations (ii) Assistance to the Zambian Energy regulatory Board in Regard to Zambia’s Rural Electrification, (iii) Technical Assistance to the Rural Electrification Authority in Zambia in Developing a Rural Electrification Master Plan, (iv) Technical Assistance to the Government of Rwanda in Establishing a Fuel Cost Pass Through Mechanism and Developing a Tariff Methodology, and (v) Technical Assistance to Mozambique in Developing an Energy policy Paper for the Minister. INDIA: Distribution Reform Upgrade and Management Program in India. Worked with over 27 distribution companies in the country to improve their commercial, operational, and personnel performance. Managing a team of over 40 technical experts, over 2,000 local Indian counterparts participated in tackling India's tremendous problems with its power sector distribution systems. The endemic difficulties in the system include theft by non-paying customers, poor collections of paying customers, over employment and lack of accountability at all levels, technical line losses (particularly in the 'last mile'), poor customer service, lack of investment in new systems and technologies, and poor performance of the sector in terms of repeat black outs and brown outs resulting from system instability. This project was recently completed for USAID. The total project was budgeted at $5 million. In addition to some 27 distribution utilities, CORE International forged a partnership with some 30 institutions in India to conduct TA and training programs in various distribution reform themes ranging from CRM to financial management to application of IT in distribution system operations to performance standards and outage management and loss reduction. CORE developed 15 separate and comprehensive Reference Books on various distribution reform subjects including a comprehensive Reference Book on IT Applications in Power Distribution Management. INDIA: Advisory Services to the North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) to assist the newly privatized distribution company in developing an integrated distribution management strategy including a specific strategy for corporate human resource development to face competition in distribution. INDIA: Advisory Services to Reliance Energy, the largest private energy company in India, CORE International, Inc. worked with the corporate managers on strategic planning for distribution loss reduction and improvement in the quality of supply and customer service. INDIA & REGIONAL INDIA: South Asia Rural Energy Initiatives – a $2.5 million, 2-year training and capacity building project in South Asia for USAID focused on technical assistance and training in 6 South Asian countries in technical, business, and institutional models for rural energy service delivery. ALBANIA: National Utility in Albania (KESH) Technical Assistance and Energy Sector Assistance to the Government of Albania which included the development of three USTDA feasibility study grants – (i) a $260,000 grant for immediate high priority interconnection projects, (ii) a grant for $600,000 for the feasibility study of a 100 MW Thermal Power Plant at Vlora, and (iii) a grant for $300,000 to assess the feasibility of port development and fuel island development for the Vlora Power Station. ALBANIA: Technical Assistance for the Stability Pact, Albania. Field and desk study review of the power sector development options and an assessment of the transmission and distribution projects that can be qualified for financing under the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. BANGLADESH: Mission Leader for a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Mission to Bangladesh to review the power sector, both generation and distribution, and the development of detailed papers for technical assistance and training needs in power sector restructuring, capacity planning, financial management, tariff setting, consumer acceptance strategies, and general operations of the Bangladesh Power Development Board, for the U.S. Agency for International Development. BOLIVIA: Renewable Energy Projects Assessment for Ten Rural Communities in Bolivia for the U.S. Agency for International Development. BULGARIA: Development of a Major Project for the Upgrading and Rehabilitation of Bulgaria's Coal-Fired Power Plants, including an assessment of the coal mining sector and preparation of a technical assistance and investment program, for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. CHILE: Preparation of Three Coal mine/Power Plant projects at Carampangue, Lota, and Isla Riesco Coal Mines in Chile and a private power project as part of the power sector investment strategy in Chile, for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. CROATIA: Evaluation of Power Interconnection Projects in Croatia slated for financing under the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe for possible feasibility assistance under USTDA funding, for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. CZECH REPUBLIC: Development of a Multi-million Dollar Project for Upgrading and Modernization of (then) Czechoslovakia's Coal-fired Power Plants and the evaluation of a sole source proposal by Westinghouse for the Czech Republic and a second sole source proposal by the Southern Electric Company for the Slovak Republic. The mission also included discussions on other energy sector technical assistance needed by the Czech Government, for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Preparation of a White Paper on Investment Options for the Power Sector in Dominican Republic which included a review of relevant power engineering and environmental issues, electricity pricing, project economics, and regulatory policy and institutional issues for USAID under the Energy Technology Innovation Project (ETIP) managed by Bechtel Corporation. Participated in the Preparation of an Information Management and Library Development Plan for EGPC, Egypt, including analysis of requirements and budgets, for the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation for USAID under the Energy Technology Innovation Project (ETIP) managed by Bechtel Corporation. INDIA: Review and Assessment of Power Sector Distribution Reform in India. A review of the distribution reform problems in India showed that distribution losses in the country were estimated to exceed US $6 billion. These losses occur on both sides of the energy meter - the utility side as well as the consumer side. The project produced a number of accomplishments including: Passage of anti-theft legislation, increased utilization of APDRP funds and leveraging of USAID investments towards distribution circle modernization in selected reform states. As a follow on assignment, implemented the $5 million Distribution Reform Upgrade and Management Program, which involved 2,000 distribution reform managers, technicians, collections and customer service personnel, all trained to to enhance the quality, delivery, collections, and 'commercial' operations of various distribution networks throughout the country. INDONESIA: Prepared Technical Recommendation and Investment Packages of 24 Renewable Energy Projects In Indonesia in Java, Sumatra, and East Kalimantan for the Asian Development Bank, Manila. MALAYSIA: Development of 30 projects in IPP Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Industrial Cogeneration, and Energy Efficiency in Commercial and Industrial Facilities in Malaysia including presentation of a workshop to California firms interesting in the Malaysian energy market, for the California Energy Commission. MADAGASCAR: World Bank Energy Assessment for Madagascar. Review of Madagascar’s energy sector institutional arrangements, energy policies, and investment program and the development of an energy sector reform and investment strategy. The strategy focused on a wide-scale renewable energy-based sector development. This work was performed for the World Bank. NAMIBIA: ERONGO RED Distribution Utility Business Management Technical Assistance, Namibia. Technical Assistance contract through USAID to assist Erongo RED in the development of (i) a five-year business plan, (ii) a performance management system, (iii) tariff methodology and tariff submission to ECB, (iv) an investment program, and (v) a branding and communications strategy. Results included: 1. Developing a detailed five-year business plan 2. Developing a detailed Performance Management System (PMS) including KPAs and KPIs for the utility as a whole and for one level of top management 3. Developing a branding/logo and communications strategy, and performance of its approval by the Board of Directors and roll-out to customers 4. Collaborative training and capacity building exercises for upper management for focus on current priority areas and near-term, mid-term, and long-term capacity and technology requirements POLAND: Review of a Proposal for Upgrading and Modernization of Seven Large Power Stations in Poland. These power stations represented over 40% of the country’s installed capacity. The strategy included a least cost investment strategy for their rehabilitation and estimates of the life cycle costs of the plants. Prepared strategy, framework document for discussions, developed tender documents for procurement of services and technologies, for the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. POLAND: Detailed Review of a Private Power Development Proposal at the Belchatow Power Station in Poland. The project was proposed by Community Energy Alternatives (CEA), an IPP, and the review was funded by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. SOUTH AFRICA: Generation Tariff Regulatory Framework for the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA). Performed a generation cost and price review, determination of cost drivers, and facilitation of an agreement between NERSA and Eskom on price determination based on the most important drivers. Identified the most important capex, opex, and fuel price cost drivers for generation costing and pricing. Lead facilitation workshops on these topics for NERSA and Eskom. Recommendations led to a P-90 demand forecasting approach, a LRMC approach to pricing, the establishment of P-90 Joint NERSA-Eskom Task Force for future forecasting and electricity pricing. SOUTH AFRICA: Distribution Reform Strategy for eThekwini Electricity, Durban, South Africa. Assisted the eThekwini Electricity Utility with business process analysis, a Business Plan development, and IT strategy to integrate business processes throughout the organization. Activities included:
TURKEY: Field and Desk Study Research and Review of the Turkish Energy Sector and Preparation of Several Projects and Technical Assistance Grants for Power Plant Rehabilitation, SCADA Systems, BOT and Clean Coal Technologies Projects in Turkey. TURKEY: Preparation of a Technical Assistance Project for the Privatization/capitalization of the Turkish Electricity Authority (TEK) in collaboration with the World Bank's power sector lending to the Government of Turkey. ZAMBIA: Regulatory Reform for Rural Energy Services, Rural Development, and Poverty Alleviation in Zambia. To address the ongoing energy crisis and the economic decline in the country, the Government of Zambia (GoZ) has embarked upon a major power sector reform program to improve energy services to the various sectors of the economy. In partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), GoZ selected CORE to undertake a three-pronged approach to address endemic problems in the sector that were inhibiting private sector investment and limiting economic opportunities. The project directly addressed the economic growth and poverty alleviation challenge facing GoZ by creating a system to increase access of affordable energy to the country’s rural population and create economic opportunities for the rural poor through fostering enterprises. The project three primary areas include: 1.Development of a Regulatory Framework for Bulk Power Purchase and Supply 2.Implementation of the Zambian Grid Code 3.Development of a Regulatory Framework for Decentralized Local Electricity Sources (Solar PV systems, micro hydro facilities, and combined heat and power systems) Through an extensive stakeholder coordination process in Zambia, CORE developed a number of instruments to strengthen the electricity sector regulation in the country, open the market to private investment, and address the rural energy access issues in order to create economic opportunities for microenterprises and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). This included developing:
REGIONAL SOUTHERN AFRICA: Development of a Regulatory Framework for Bulk Power Purchase and Supply, Southern African Power Pool (SAPP Tariff Study) Regional – Five Countries – South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe SAPP, Harare, Zimbabwe Final Report: Regional Tariff Setting Principles and Opportunities for Harmonization Design of questionnaires, data review and analysis, comparative assessments with best practices in tariff setting principles, analysis of the extent to which the divergence in harmonization is a deterrent to power sector investments in the region. |